Reports, proud muckraking, photos, videos and musings from the veteran LGBT and AIDS human rights advocate Michael Petrelis. Based in San Francisco since 1995.
Contact: MPetrelis_at_AOL_dot_com.
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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Video: SFPD Chief: Barricades at Pride & New TV Series

Almost two weeks ago, I blogged about San Francisco Chief of Police Greg Suhr making an appearance at the June 11 SF Pride board meeting for a Q & A session. I taped most of what he said, until my camera ran out of memory, and was unable to post the tape (which is in RealPlayer format) directly to Vimeo. Using Microsoft LifeCam, I shot the tape off the monitor and it uploaded without a hitch.

At the start, you hear me asking Suhr about metal barricades lining all of Market Street during the annual Pride Parade and how I don't like that the barricades and the police make it so difficult for folks on the sidewalk to join a passing contingent.

What is commemorated and celebrated the last Sunday of every June is queers standing up to the cops at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, and I think San Francisco queers need to revisit the issue of the SFPD having so much say over how we mark that rebellion.

When Suhr says a person either needs to join a contingent where they gather prior to the Parade or just watch it marching by, we see how our Pride has been co-opted by the cops and that should be addressed to reclaim Pride.

In addition to discussing security at Pride, Suhr also chats about the new TV series set in San Francisco and produced by Steven Bocho, "Murder in the First", about two homicide investigators at the police department.